


Little fishy from the fair

by Fangirlqueen87



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: Domestic robron, Inspired by the cutest little fan art in the world, M/M, caring little rob, responsible careers, sappy little attached rob is the cutest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-06-10 00:13:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6930193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirlqueen87/pseuds/Fangirlqueen87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It's a fish Robert."<br/>"It's not just a fish."</p><p>Inspired by the cutest little drawing of Aaron and Robert at a fair holding a little fishy drawn by the fabulous Jenny @scrapyardboyfriends (on tumblr)!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little fishy from the fair

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy this little fic, thanks again to the amazing Jenny who drew this amazing art and apologies for taking her mushiness and making it all deep and serious and hopefully still domestic and sweet!

Robert didn't even want it, Aaron was the one that kept banging on about the flaming fish and how they couldn't just give it away. Aaron was in one of those moods when they got it, one of those spontaneously un- Aaron moods that made Robert frown and then squint at the sight of his boyfriend. He could never dream of trying to dampen Aaron's spirits when he was in that mood. So the next thing Robert actually knew he was clutching a goldfish in his hand, trying to suppress his frown as he looked at Aaron with a huge smile across his face. He was red and bright and happy, and so was Robert.

Now though Aaron was busy, busy with Liv, busy with the scrapyard, way too busy to look after even himself let alone a bloody goldfish. The animal was an annoying one, it was hardly demanding, it just swam and swam and swam all day - hardly bothering anyone. Yet it still needed to be fed and the tank still needed to be cleaned and those jobs usually fell on Robert's shoulder. He had got into some sort of routine in place, two weeks after they won it at that bloody fair. In the morning the first thing he would do was clean the tank a bit, using a makeshift rod and swirling the water around. Then he would put some fish food in and watch as Milo - Aaron's idea not his - swam up to get some.

There was something soothing about it all, something calming about the way Milo would instantly swim back down again when he had enough. It always seemed to relax Robert before Liv would slam through the door with Aaron marching behind her. Some days Robert would sit there and just watch Milo, he couldn't describe how relaxing it all was, it made him think of things differently. The tranquility made him want to think about the future, the way he could easily fall into the swing of things when it came to looking after something or maybe...maybe someone. He would gaze at the tank and feel a sense of pride knowing that he was keeping that thing alive in there, with help from Aaron of course.

Aaron who always _bought_ the fish food, Aaron who always _bought_ the plastic rocks and pebbles for the tank. Robert would feel like a fool when he thought about what else Milo could be, what else the small little fish could actually represent for their future. Maybe a child of their own to protect and love and care for. Robert was quickly realising this small little fish was much more than _just_ a fish from a fair.

Aaron loved Milo, but he was hardly as attached to the fish as Robert was. He found it endearing, watching as Robert watched. It made him feel this sense of warmth and love for Robert that he hadn't felt before, he was seeing this endearing side to the man he loved, he never thought seeing him love something else would be so beautiful.

That's why it hurt that morning to see what he saw.

Robert had left their bed at the crack of down that morning, racing down the stairs and out the door without a coffee in his hand or food in the tank for Milo. ' _Fucking meetings.'_

When he came back Aaron had that look on his face, he was biting down hard on his lip and he his face was flushed, red and alert as Robert walked through the door.

"Aaron?" Robert asked as he walked towards him, he didn't like that look and suddenly his heart was racing, "What's wrong? Is it Liv?"

Aaron shook his head and rubbed at Robert's arm. Whenever he seemed worried about Liv he loved him that little bit more.

"It's not Liv..." Aaron trailed his eyes towards the fish tank and begged Robert to follow him. Robert frowned as his eyes met the tank, it was empty and suddenly he looked back at Aaron.

"Where's...what -"

"I found him this morning..." Aaron trailed off as it dawned on Robert and he dropped his head.

Robert allowed himself to realise what had happened and suddenly he felt sick with shame, shame over what he could have prevented. Milo was his responsibility, Milo was dead.

"I'm sorry." Aaron mumbled as he saw Robert look at him, now _his_ face flushed and red and blotchy. Aaron attempted to rub Robert's arm again but Robert was pulling away the way he did when he was upset, really upset.

Robert didn't want Aaron's apologies, he hadn't done anything wrong. It wasn't his fault, it was all his own.

"Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong. I did."

Aaron frowned at Robert and shook his head before pulling at Robert's shoulder,  
"What are ya on about?" He asked softly, attempting to find out why Robert looked and seemed so...guilty over a fish.

Robert turned towards Aaron sharply,  
"This...this morning I didn't even feed him, I was already late -"

Aaron shook his head and placed a hand on Robert's chest to stop him.

"Not feeding him once...was _not_ the reason why he died Robert." Aaron sighed softly as he saw Robert try to rationalise the idea and then bit down on his lip in agreement.

"These things just happen... _and_ he was from a fair, we hardly paid a lot eh?" Aaron always had this way of making his voice slightly higher whenever he wanted to cheer Robert up, it always seemed to work.

Robert scoffed before sniffing slightly,  
"Got 'im free." He mumbled making Aaron smile.

"But that dosent change the fact that...that I let him down. We only had him for a few weeks, he was probably the most boring pet in the world but I let him down, I let you down. I'm sorry." Robert pushed himself down onto the sofa and pulled his eyes away from the fish tank.

Aaron walked towards Robert and held his hand, gently stroking over his thumb and watching as Robert stared towards the door. He didn't understand still why Robert seemed so upset with himself about it.

"It's a fish Robert..." Aaron mumbled before pulling back and seeing Robert's eyes look straight at him.

He didn't understand at all, and Robert felt too foolish to explain why he was so upset.

"It's not _just_ a fish," he let out with a frustrated sigh because Aaron was just staring at him like he was some emotional teenager.

Aaron nodded his head, he was trying, trying to understand but it wasn't really working and he could see that Robert was very nearly going to just walk out and leave.

"Okay...do you wanna talk about that?"

Robert waved a hand out and shook his head, "What's to talk about? The...the fact that I can't _simply_ look after a bloody goldfish! I can't just keep it alive for...for more than a few weeks...if I can't do that then how am I ever supposed to look after a -" he stopped himself and then suddenly Aaron was sat wide eyed across from him, he had heard, _now_ he had understood.

He finally understood the gravity of it all and how Robert who loved to watch Milo would be feeling about not having him anymore, about not being good enough to keep him alive. And then the fact that it made him think about...about the future...about not being able to look after a...a baby...  _their_ baby.

"I didn't...I didn't realise -" Aaron babbled and Robert tried to cower his head down, he was blushing like mad because he didn't want to say that part but now he had.

"I didn't either, but...I don't know I just...Milo made me a bit more...more welcome to the idea..." Robert didn't want to actually mention the idea of actually having a child with Aaron but the fact that they both knew he wasn't trying to refer to a bloody dog or whatever was at least something to go on. It made Robert realise he wasn't alone in his thoughts, not one bit.

"Yeah alright a fish is hardly a -"

"Baby." Aaron said the words so softly that Robert suddenly placed a hand in Aaron's and smiled like a fool would, like a naive one. The way the word just slipped out of Aaron's mouth so effortlessly just made Robert have to catch his breath.

Robert gulped hard and nodded,  
"Well yeah...but it was just the way I...I had responsibility and I liked it. I liked it Aaron and I didn't think I would but I did." He said the words too quickly and he could see Aaron blushing slightly at the thought.

"You were great, great with him...he was a goldfish yeah but I know what you mean," Aaron whispered as Robert looked up at him quickly, "About the whole responsible thing. That's how I feel about Liv sometimes...this responsibility I have for her...sometimes I think about us being like that together, having our own little human to care for, to love." Aaron chuckled and Robert quickly stared at him with slightly shock on his face.

Aaron has always had those thoughts, he especially had them when he saw Robert with Liv, laughing or smiling together or when he stood up for her and defending her against whoever. He always seemed to wonder how fiercely Robert would protect own.

"Really?" Robert stared in awe for a few seconds before shaking his head "You never said anything about _that._ "

Aaron shrugged his shoulders,  
"Neither did you." He smiled softly.

Robert bit down on his lip and blushed slightly.

"But of course I'd want that with you..." Aaron said shyly.

Robert blushed even more, "Same here...I mean...of course I'd want a child with ya." He said softly causing Aaron to roll his shoulders back slightly and smirk.

For a second Aaron just held Robert's hand as they both felt this odd feeling course through their bodies _'so this is what having a grown up conversation about domestic future stuff feels like'_

"Don't...don't tell me that Milo dying is making you think you couldn't be a good dad." Aaron said the words slowly and allowed Robert to understand exactly what he was saying.

Robert shrugged his shoulders,  
"I dunno...yeah I suppose...I mean seriously Aaron I can't even keep a fish alive!" He sighed harder this time and then suddenly Aaron was cupping his face and smiling at him with nothing but love laced in his expression.

"You...Robert Sugden will be an amazing dad to our little human..." Aaron whispered the words and Robert couldn't help but smile at the fact that Aaron had said the words 'little human' for the second time.

"In the future like," Aaron added causing Robert to nod his head and then lean towards him softly, planting a kiss on Aaron's forehead and then resting his head against Aaron's.

Robert drifted his eyes towards the empty fish tank and felt his heart beat faster. He loved that little fish with all his mite.

"If we have a boy we could name it Mil -"

"I don't think so. I'm not naming our child after a gold fish." Aaron chuckled softly before gently moving his head off Robert and staring into his eyes, green and soft and pleading.

"Fine...middle name. A tribute to his life. Might not have had this conversation without the little guy eh." Aaron kissed Robert softly and Robert felt as though a weird weight has been lifted off of him somehow. To say the idea of children and the worries he had about it had played dramatically on his mind was a bit too much but it definitely circled his thoughts from time to time and now it was put to rest. Aaron wanted _his_ child sometime in the future, and they'd share this life and all this responsibility and love for someone.

"Thanks Milo." Robert whispered, too softly for Aaron to hear but just enough for him to smile slightly as he pulled Aaron closer to him.

God all this emotional talk over a bloody fish from a fair.

**Author's Note:**

> All got a little deep haha but I hope you liked it ;)


End file.
